Tobacco-drier



(No Model.)

B. WALTON.

TOBAGGO DRIER.

No. 340,468. Patented Apr. 20, 1886.

Ira/8292i? Edward J'VZZvn N. PEI'ERS. HlMo-Lrilmgnphir. Washingkm. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD WALTON, OF OARTERSVILLE, VIRGINIA.

TOBACCO-DRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 340,468, dated April20, 1886.

Application filed October 28, 1885. Serial No. 181,167. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD WALTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Oartersville, in the county of Cumberland and State ofVirginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus forCuring Tobacco, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to an improved apparatus for curing tobacco byartificial heat tempered with moisture, the object being to cure thetobacco leaves and develop their color speedily and uniformly.

The invention consists in the combination, with a heating-fine orheat-conveying pipe, of a water-pan havinga concaved bottom,whereby itis adapted to rest upon and partially surround said flue or pipe, thewater-pan being deepest at the sides and comparatively shallow in thecenter to present an extensive surface to the action of heat, andthereby facilitate evaporation.

The invention also consists in certain other peculiarities in theconstruction and combina tions of parts, as hereinafter set forth.

In the annexed drawings, illustrating the invention, Figure 1 is aperspective view of a portion of a cylindrical hot-air due with one ofmy improved evaporating-pans in position. Fig. 2 is a verticaltransverse section, and Fi g. 3 is a longitudinal section ofthe same.

-eferring to these drawings, the letter A designates a hot-air line orpipe, preferably cylindrical in form. A number of these fines are runthrough the drying house or apartment in the usual manner, and aresupplied with heat from any suitablesource, preferably from a furnace orfurnaces located outside of the drying or curing apartment.

Upon each heating-flue A is arranged a series of evaporating-pans, B,each of which is formed with a bottom, a, that is concavedlongitudinally on the underside to fit the flue on which the pan rests.These pans may be made of tin or other metal, are preferably oblong inform, and may be provided with covers or not, as preferred. If a coveris employed, as shown at 0, Fig. 2, it is preferable to provideit withperforations c, for the exit of steam.

The several pans B may be made to communicate by means of pipes ortubesb at the water-level, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to maintain auniform depth of water throughout the series. With an equabledistribution of heat through the flues uniform degree of evaporation canthus be secured in all parts of the tobacco-curing apartment.

In order to afford a proper draft and facilitate the distributionofheat, the fine A should be arranged in an inclined position,with arise of, say, from one to two inches to the foot. The concavepan-bottoms will be made with about the same inclination from end toend, so as to bring the top of the pan into a horizontal plane when thepan is in position upon its supporting-flue.

The tobacco to be treated is suspended in the drying or curing apartmentupon tobaccosticks as usual. Water is supplied to the evaporating-pansB, and the temperature of the drying or curing apartment is raised bymeans of heat applied through the dues A, on which the evaporating-pansare supported.

This heat is moderated by the evaporation evaporating-pans are onlypartially filled, so

that there will bea thin stratum of water on each side of andimmediately above the heat flue. By this means evaporation or theformation of steam will take place rapidly at a comparatively lowtemperature. This moist heat equally distributed throughout theapartment results in speedily curing tobacco with a uniform developmentof color in all the leaves.

In curing tobacco it is desirable to produce a proper and uniform colorin all the leaves, but as no leaves are alike this has hitherto beendifficult to accomplish. The bottom leaves of the plant usually advancemore rapidly in curing than those next to the bottom, and so on to thetop or bud leaves, which are the most difficult to bring to the propercolor and by subjecting the tobacco to a moderate and uniform degree ofmoist heat as afforded by ,the size of the flue,

my improved tobacco-curing apparatus. The tobaoco, being suspended inthe curing-apartment, isthoroughly exposed to this heat in ascendingcurrents, so that the leaves are caused to sweat and become cured andcolored uniformly in a few hours.

If at any time the contents of the evaporating-pansshould become too'much heated, they can be furnished with an additional supply of coldwater, or the pans may be removed from the flues or raised at one end,to admit air beneath the pan-bottom. When elevated at one end for thispurpose, the pan can be supported at that end by a piece of metal orother material placed between it and the flue, or any other suitablesupport may be employed.

The flues A and pans B can be of any suit able or convenient size. Fluesof about ten inches diameter and pans about twenty inches long with awidth and depth proportioned to so as to expose a thin stratum of waterabove and on each side of the flue, as shown in Fig. 2, being in mostcases preferable.

Although I prefer to employ the concavebottomed pans B in connectionwith the tines A, it is obvious that the flues may be dispensed with andthe pans arranged instead over open fires or upon stoves.

The construction of the pan B with a concave bottom affords an extensivefire surface and enables a thin stratum of water to be exposed to heat,thus producing a rapid and extensive evaporation at a comparatively lowtemperature. The tobacco, being thoroughly exposed to the moderate andmoist heat thus produced, is quickly and uniformly cured with a verysuperior and uniform development of color.

What I claim is-- 1. An evaporating-pan for tobacco-curing apparatus,having its bottom wall concaved from end to end to form pendentcontracted side channels, and adapted to set securely up on theheat-conveying flues, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

2. The combination, with a heat-conveying flue, of an evaporating-panhaving its bottom wall concaved from end to end to form pendentcontracted side channels,arranged,respectively, along the sides of theflue, resting in contact with the surface of the flue, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination, with a heat-conveying flue, of an evaporating panhaving at one end a connecting-pipe, b, and provided with a concavedbottom wall resting in direct contact with the outer surface of theflue, and forming pendent contracted channels at the sides of the pan,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD WALTON.

Witnesses:

J. S. ADAMS, W. H. PARRISH.

said bottom wall

